--- title: Do hunger hormones and eating patterns differ between women with and without PMS? description: Yes. Women with PMS eat more calories and carbohydrates in the luteal phase (days before their period), while women without PMS do not. Hunger hormones work d url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/leptin-ghrelin-insulin-levels-and-food-intake-in-premenstrual-syndrome-a-case-2022/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do hunger hormones and eating patterns differ between women with and without PMS? Case-control study, 2022 # Do hunger hormones and eating patterns differ between women with and without PMS? Yes. Women with PMS eat more calories and carbohydrates in the luteal phase (days before their period), while women without PMS do not. Hunger hormones work differently in the two groups. Moderate study design 69 women aged 20-45 with regular menstrual cycles, 35 with PMS and 34 without ## What they did Case-control study of 69 women aged 20-45 with regular cycles. 35 had PMS, 34 did not. PMS was diagnosed using the Daily Record of Severity of Problems scale over 2 months. Food intake was tracked with 12 food records over 2 menstrual cycles. Blood leptin and ghrelin levels were measured. ## What they found In women with PMS, calorie intake was higher in the luteal phase than follicular phase (p = 0.004). Carbohydrate intake was also higher in luteal phase (p = 0.003). These patterns did not appear in women without PMS (p greater than 0.05). There was a marginal negative relationship between ghrelin and calorie intake in the follicular phase in the PMS group (rS = -0.314, p = 0.066). There was a negative relationship between ghrelin and leptin in the luteal phase in the non-PMS group (rS = -0.490, p = 0.004). ## What it means for you Women with PMS show changes in eating and hunger hormones that women without PMS do not. This may explain cravings for carbs before the period. The study is moderate-sized but observational, so it cannot prove hormones cause the eating changes. 35 women with PMS 34 women without PMS p = 0.004 calorie intake higher in luteal phase ## About the study Original title Leptin, ghrelin, & insulin levels and food intake in premenstrual syndrome: A case-control study Authors Gallon CW, Ferreira CF, Henz A et al. Journal Appetite Year 2022 Study design Case-control study Participants 69 What was tested Tracking of hunger hormones and diet across menstrual cycle phases Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105750](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105750) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2026 How do pain, sleep quality, and appetite change across the menstrual cycle? Case-control study, 2015 Does a Western diet increase PMS risk? Cohort study, 2026 Are eating behaviors linked to how severe a woman's PMS symptoms are? Survey study, 2026 Does eating foods that cause inflammation link to worse food cravings and mood problems in women with PMS? Survey study, 2025 Does following a Mediterranean diet reduce PMS? Survey study, 2024 Does nutrient intake and appetite change during the menstrual cycle relate to PMS symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗